Trombone



w. n. ACKLEY;

TROMBONE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 17! I917.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

mww Z0 4 I i UNITED STATES OFFICE.

WILLIAMVD. ACKLEY, or HENRIETTA, TEXAS ASSIGNOR'TOFRANK HOLTONY &

COMPANY; or CHIGAGO, ILLINOISyA-GORPORATION oF-ILLmoIs;

TROMB NE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17', 1920.

Application filed February 17, 1917.- Serial no. 149,242.

To all whom z'tmag concern) Beit known that I, IVIL IAM D. ACKLEY,

a citizen of the United States,residing at Henrietta, in the county of Clay and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trombones, of which the following is a specification.

This inve'ntionrelates to a musical instrumentslide and is more particularly designated as a hearing or stocking for a trombone or other similar instruments in which it is desirableto provide a smooth bearing for theslidable partof the instrument.

The invention consists in making the bearing or stocking of such a shape that it will have all of the advantages and none of the disadvantages both of a long stock-' ing or bearing and a short stocking. The invention furthenconsls'ts 1n a novel construction, combination and arrangement of the parts as set forth in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a view with a portion broken away,*showing the fixed and slidable parts of a trombone;

Fig. 2 is an enlargeddetail of the stocking shown in Fig.1 with the end of theslide shown in broken outline; and

Figs. 3, 1 and 5 are modifications'of the stocking.

In trombones it is desirable that'the slide of the instrument shall have a smooth and quick slide action in one position as well as in the others. It is found that a short stocking or bearing at the end of the fixed tube connected to the mouth piece, will give a quicker slide action because of the fact that there is a shorter bearing surface than if the stocking is longer. One objection to the short stocking, however, is that in the outer most positions of the trombone slide the weight of the outer end of the slide tends to bear down the end, and bearing upon the stocking which supports it unevenly, the slide is apt to have an uneven or jerky action in its outermost positions. This can be minimized by making the stocking of sufficient length, but if the stocking is made too long the friction will be so great that it does not have a quick or smooth action in the other positions.

In the present invention all of the objections both to the short stocking and to thelong stocking are overcome by makingone-side of the stocking of about the usual length of the small stocking-and the other side of about the length of the long. stock'- ing.-

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a mouth piece 1 is attached'to a tubular member 2' and at the'end of the tubular member is a stocking '3. Movable over the tubular member 2 and upon the stocking 3,'which it closely fits, is a slide 4 comprising two parallel portions, and a connecting" curved" portion 5. Although the stocking 81s shown only in connection with the-tubular member 2, it should be understoodthat the other fixed member 6 upon which the slide 4 ismovable may also be provided with such -'abearing. It should be understood, furthermore, that in playing position the mouth piece land the tubular" member'2 are ordinarily horizontal or sub stantially so, and above the tubular member 6." The stocking 3,- as shown more clearly by Fig. 2, has its outerend 7 cut at right angles, but the inner end has an inclined portion 8 with a shou1der9 on the upper'side and an extremity 10 on the lower side, which d oes' not come to asharp point but "embraces the arc of a circle at the end, as does also the ShOHlClBI' Q. A slightly different form is shown in Fig. 3 in which the shoulder 9 andtheextremity 10" are 1nclined instead of being transverse to the longitudinal axis of the stocking as in Fig. 2. In the form shown by Fig. 4:, the inner extremity is simply beveled off at an angle and in the form shown by Fig. 5 the stocking is cut down about half-way, forming the shoulder 12, and the lower or longer portion 13 of the stocking is made up of the remainder thereof.

It is obvious that in all of these forms the upper side of the stocking is much shorter than the lower side, and therefore gives smooth and quick action to the slide with a minimum of friction.

When the slide is in its outermost playing positions it tends to twist downward on the stockings. This downward twisting of the slide causes the latter to bear down on the upper surface of the stocking near the outer. end or the end adjacent the outer end of the tubular member 2 and causes an upward pressure by the slide on the inner end of the lower side of the stocking. In long stocking constructions this downward twisting of the slide greatly increases the friction, due to the large engaging surfaces of the slide and stocking. In short stocking constructions the short stocking is so short that the ends of V the latter tend to cut into or look the slide.

Hence, in both the short stocking and the long stocking constructions difficulty is experienced in having the slide move easily and smoothly in its outer playing positions. In a constructionv as set forth in this application by cutting away the upper side of the inner end of the stocking, the friction between the stocking and slide are reduced to a minimum and the long lower side of the stocking pre-' tributed, the inclined portion tending to throwit upwardly thereby equalizing the distribution.

The stockings are commonly formed of tubular material which is secured to the end of a pipe or tubular member by soldering, brazing, or in any other suitable manner.

' My stocking may be applied or substituted in place of a long or shortv stocking in a trombone already in use, as well as being applied to new instriunents.

I claim: 1. An article'of manufacture comprising a stocking for trombones having its upper side materially shorter than its lower side.

2. In a trombone, the combination of a tubular member, a tubular stocking disposed on the tubular member and having its upper side considerably shorter than its lower side when in playing position, and a slide slidably'mounted on the stocking.

3. In a trombone, the combination of a tubular member, a tubular stocking disposed on the tubular member and having its end adjacent one end of said tubular member substantially in a plane at right angles to the axis of the stocking and its other end gen erally inclined to said axis with the upper side of the stocking considerably shorter than the lower side of such stocking, and a slide movably mounted on the stocking.

4:. An article of manufacture which consists of a bearing stocking for a trombone, cylindrical in shape and cut oil at right angles at one end, and materially shorter on one side than on theopposite one to form a longer bearing for one side of a trombone slide than for the opposite side.

5. The combination in a trombone of a tubular supporting member, a slide movable thereon, and a supporting stocking placed at the end of the member and formed at its inner end with the side whichis uppermost in the playing position considerably less in length than the opposite or lowermost side so that in the outermost playing positions of the slide the 'end of the latter will bear against the said longer side of the stocking.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification, in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses, on this twelfth day of February, A. D. 1917. 1

WILLIAM D. ACKLEY,

Witnesses;

T. F. BERNER, CLAY COLEMAN. 

